Biscotti: Recipes from the Kitchen of the American Academy in Rome

From the innovative kitchen of the American Academy in Rome come fifty authentic, simple recipes for Italian bite-sized cookies, or biscotti. They are divided into five categories: Milk and Wine; Nuts; Honey, Citrus, and Spice; Meringue; and Chocolate. Some are dry and not too sweet—traditional Italian biscotti that are eaten for breakfast with caffè latte or dipped into a glass of vino dolce—others recall medieval and Renaissance kitchens and the influence of the spice trade. Whether chocolate, lemon, pistachio, or simply butter, flour, and sugar, each memorable cookie is infused with the history and conviviality of la cucina romana, Chez Panisse, American childhoods, and international friendships.

Narrated with carefully explained techniques and methods, the recipes have been scaled down for the home kitchen, but may be scaled back up for large-batch cooking in an institutional setting.

Biscotti is the first in a series of small hardcover cookbooks, each on a single subject, that will bring together favorite dishes served at the academy’s communal table. Each will feature a single and essential subject in the repertoire of the RSFP’s eco-gastronomic vision.